GUATEMALA · CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
Certified Translation of Guatemala Documents for USCIS
Translating Guatemalan civil documents for USCIS means working almost entirely with records from RENAP (Registro Nacional de las Personas), the national registry that around 2008 absorbed the country's municipal Registro Civil offices. Modern RENAP certificates are computer-printed certified extracts (certificaciones) carrying a CUI number, barcode, and QR verification code — not photocopies of the original register — while pre-2008 records pulled from the old municipal books are frequently handwritten in aging Spanish script. Nearly every Guatemalan carries two surnames (paternal then maternal), and married women keep their maiden names rather than adopting a spouse's, a convention a careful USCIS translator must preserve exactly to avoid name-mismatch RFEs. Our native Spanish specialists translate every certificate under a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), and our USCIS Rejection Pledge means if a translation is ever the reason for a rejection, we fix it free and cover the resubmission fee.
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
DOCUMENTS FROM GUATEMALA
Pick Your Document
Guatemalan Birth Certificate →
Guatemalan Marriage Certificate →
Guatemalan Divorce Decree →
Guatemalan Death Certificate →
Guatemalan Diploma →
Guatemalan Academic Transcript →
Guatemalan Police Record →
Guatemalan Single Status Certificate →
GOOD TO KNOW
Issuing Authority & Authentication
Civil records in Guatemala are issued by the Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP) — National Registry of Persons · official language(s): Spanish. Guatemala has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 18 September 2017, so a Guatemalan record is authenticated with a single apostille issued by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MINEX) rather than by embassy or consular legalization. Note that USCIS filings themselves require a certified English translation, not an apostille — the MINEX apostille is only needed when the underlying document must be recognized by a foreign authority.
Every document above is translated by a native specialist, reviewed by a second linguist, and delivered with a signed Certificate of Accuracy that USCIS accepts under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — or we fix it free and cover your resubmission fee.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does USCIS require my Guatemalan birth certificate to be apostilled?
For documents filed directly with USCIS, no — USCIS requires a full certified English translation, not an apostille. Guatemala is a Hague Apostille country, so an apostille from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MINEX) is only needed when the record must be recognized by a foreign authority (such as a Guatemalan court proceeding) or for certain consular immigrant-visa steps. When in doubt, we can advise based on where the document is going.
My RENAP certificate is only in Spanish — is that a problem for immigration?
Not at all. Every foreign-language document submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a complete English translation certified for accuracy. We translate your RENAP certificación and attach a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), which is exactly what USCIS looks for.
How do you handle the two Guatemalan surnames and married women keeping their maiden name?
We preserve both surnames (paternal then maternal) in their original order and never alter a married woman's maiden name to match a U.S. convention. Name-order accuracy is one of the most common causes of avoidable RFEs, so our native Spanish specialists keep names exactly as the RENAP or court record shows them.
Can you translate an old handwritten record from before RENAP existed?
Yes. Pre-2008 births, marriages, and deaths often come from the municipal Registro Civil in handwritten Spanish script with older spellings and marginal annotations. Our specialists are experienced with these archival records and transcribe them faithfully, including registry book, folio, and entry numbers.
For my police clearance, do I need both the penales and the policiacos certificate?
Immigrant-visa and many immigration processes ask for both: the Antecedentes Penales from the Organismo Judicial and the Antecedentes Policiacos from the PNC. We translate each, rendering the standard 'carece de antecedentes' language clearly and preserving the QR verification codes that let a reviewer confirm authenticity.
How much does it cost and how fast can you turn it around?
Certified translation is $0.05 per word — a typical one-page RENAP birth or marriage certificate runs about $15–25 total — with 24–48 hour turnaround. You can request a free 250-word sample first, and every order is backed by our USCIS Rejection Pledge. Reach us by email at info@translationhelpdesk.com.